Bea Arthur Dies –Bea Arthur Dead At 86

Beatrice Arthur, the tall, deep-voiced actress known for her sharp humor on classic televion shows like All In The Family, its spinoff Maude, and The Golden Girls, died of cancer early Saturday. She was 86.

Bea Arthur, a Emmy and Tony award winner, died peacefully at her home in Los Angeles, with her family at her side, family spokesman Dan Watt said in statement this afternoon.

“She was a brilliant and witty woman,” Watt said. “Bea will always have a special place in my heart.”

As fans of The Golden Girls will recall, we lost Estelle Getty, who played Bea’s mother Sophia Petrillo on the long-running sitcom, just last summer.